I’m honored that Crystal of Foreign Indian Wife nominated me for a Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award! Crystal runs a lovely blog, sharing her experiences in Delhi, India as she navigates life as the American wife of an Indian man. My favorite post from her blog is India Has Changed Me – this piece will resonate with anyone who has ever spent time abroad.
Crystal asked me questions, and I have answers:
What inspired you to blog?
Initially I started blogging way back when a university professor suggested sharing some of my adventures in China on the web. My husband has also been a huge source of inspiration, always supporting me to continue writing and blogging.
What is the most rewarding experience about sharing your life with readers?
Realizing you’re not alone in your experiences.
What is the most important piece of advice you could offer someone?
Be mindful as you live your life.
Ideally, what would your life be like 5 years from now?
Gosh, I haven’t really thought that far ahead! I’m just trying to work on getting through this year and the next one. 😉 I will say I’d like to be more mindful and appreciative of the simple joys in life.
What was/is your most difficult challenge in life, and how did/do you overcome it?
One of my most difficult challenges was losing my mother to cancer at the age of 17 (which I wrote about recently for the Wall Street Journal). I don’t know that it was something I “overcame” – it was more an issue of learning to accept what was and move forward with courage in my heart. I think what really helped me was learning to cultivate my own spiritual beliefs, where I could envision my mother as still a part of my life even though she had passed on from the physical world.
Would you say that your experiences have made you a better person?
Yes!
What brings you the most happiness?
Going for walks in out in nature.
Who inspires you the most?
My husband.
The journey tends to change all of us, in good and bad ways. What about yourself would you like to improve?
My perfectionism (which probably only proves that I’m a perfectionist at heart, ha!). Seriously though, the more I’ve let go of expectations to be perfect about everything, the happier I am in life.
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Crystal already nominated two of my favorite bloggers – Texan in Tokyo and Madh Mama, who both inspire me endlessly. I’d like to nominate the following bloggers for this award (listed in reverse alphabetical order, with a link to one of my favorite posts on their blog):
- Xiananigans by Marissa Kluger (Stop Asking, Saying These Things About China)
- When West Dates East by Autumn Ashbough (Badge of Shame)
- Susan Blumberg-Kason (Now and Then: Hong Kong Photos Dating Back 50 Years)
- The Ruby Ronin by Mary Halloran (America Is Not the Greatest Country on Earth)
- Rosie in Beijing by Rosalie Zhao (Baby Passport and Visa Woes)
- Nicki Chen (How I Met My Chinese Husband, Part 1)
- Mabel Kwong (Why It’s Hard Being A Blogger. And Why Some Asians Find It Hard To Be Creative)
- The Love Blender by Marghini (10 Reasons Why Asian Men Are Sexy)
- Living a Dream in China by Sara Jaaksola (Questions To Consider Before Having A Baby In China)
- Linda Living in China (and Korea!) by Linda Dunsmore (Engagement Diary 1: How Is This Even Possible?)
- My Hong Kong Husband by Lina (性教育 – 香港與波蘭的差別 – sexual education – Poland vs Hong Kong)
- Greece Meets Taiwan by Eleni (The Advantages of Being in an Interracial/Intercultural Relationship)
- The Good Shufu by Tracy Slater (Getting Through to Getting Pregnant at 45)
- Expat Edna by Edna Zhou (Encountering Racism Abroad — or When I’m Reminded I’m Not White)
- English Life, Indian Wife by Lauren Mokasdar (Adjust or Adapt? Becoming a Member of an Indian Family)
- My Chinese Boyfriend by Yocelyn Riojas (Dear Whatsherface, Asians Don’t All Look Alike Nor Do I Double Dip)
- China’s Lost Panda by Anna Zech (No Water, No Power: Life in Rural China.)
Here are the questions I’d love for the folks I’ve nominated to answer. (Feel free to answer as many as you would like.):
- How did you come up with the name for your blog?
- What do you find most challenging about blogging?
- What do you do when you aren’t working on your blog?
- Everyone has a favorite post. Name yours and tell us why it is your favorite.
- What do you consider the best part of your day?
- Could you share with us a beautiful moment or experience you had recently?
- Tell me about your proudest achievement.
- What is the biggest difference in your life post-blogging?
- Share with us one of your favorite books, and why you like it.
- What do you think would make the world a better place?
For those nominees who don’t have the time to respond to this award, no worries! Just know that your blog has touched me in some way and I wanted to honor you for that.